Tag: health benefits

Hey Guys! I am back. 🙂 Today I am gonna talk about SPIRULINA — Natures perfect multivitamin and my favourite super food!!! I am sure you all have heard a lot about this super food and have seen it as an ingredient in green energy drinks, smoothies and natural supplements, but do you know that spirulina benefits are so amazing that if taken on a daily basis they could restore and revitalise your health.

It’s a very good source of vitamins like (B6, B1, B2, B12, Biotin, Niacin, E, Folic acid, Inositol, Pantothenic acid, Carotenoids, Beta carotene) and Minerals like (Calcium, Potassium, Zinc, Magnesium, Manganese, Iron, Phosphorus, Selenium). Another good thing is spirulina will be from 65% to 71% protein, depending upon growing conditions. This protein content is said to be biologically complete. That means that all 8 essential amino acids are present in their correct ratios. Plus 10 non essential amino acids as well. How amazing is this? 🙂

Nature’s way is the best brand when it comes to superfoods!

Now I am going to share some of its health benefits with you guys:

According to the University of Maryland Medical Centre, “A number of animal and test tube studies suggest that spirulina increases production of antibodies, infection fighting proteins and other cells that improve immunity and help ward off infection and chronic illnesses such as cancer”.

I am sure you all know that foods which are high in protein promote weight loss and low fat stores because it requires more energy to metabolise. As I mentioned earlier that Spirulina is an excellent source of protein which makes it a great food to speed up weight loss.

Helps in lowering high cholestrol. A recent animal study published in The Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology took rabbits, fed them a high cholesterol diet (HCD) containing 0.5% cholesterol for four weeks, and then fed them a HCD with 1% or 5% spirulina for an additional eight weeks. After the eight-week trial was complete, LDL levels decreased by 26% in the group eating 1% of spirulina and 41% in the group eating 5% spirulina, which heavily suggests that the more we eat the more benefits we will receive! Serum triglycerides and total cholesterol were also significantly reduced.

Researchers also discovered that the spirulina supplementation lowered intimal aorta surface by 33% to 48%, which suggests that it can prevent atherosclerosis and subsequent stroke. Click here for detail study.

Spirulina lowers high blood pressure and it also boosts our energy. In short there are sooo many health benefits of spirulina. I will highly recommend you add this superfood into your daily diet. You can find this in the health section of your local grocery store or in pharmacies. You can add spirulina in your salads or fresh juices. I love to add 1-tsp of spirulina in my juices, smoothies or salad dressings. Preferably in my juices or green drinks as it has a pond like taste. And if you wanna read more about healthy drinks and how to incorporate them into our diet then check out my article here.

I am gonna share two of my favourite recipes here. I call it ‘Green Energy Drink’ as it looks sooo green and gives me energy 😀 kidding! You can create your own recipe with fruits and veggies of your choice.

‘Green Energy Drink’

Ingredients:

2 green apples

1 cucumber

1 stalk celery

2 stalks kale

2 handfuls of lettuce

Few leaves of coriander or mint

4 medium carrots

1tsp spirulina

Method:

Add everything into a blender. Blend it. So simple and easy, and way better for you than a can of energy drink.

‘Coconut Drink’

You can also add 1 tea spoon of spirulina in 2 cups of coconut water, stir it & your drink is ready. Easy peasy!

Gazing at the most beautiful creations of nature, a feeling of wonder would come over me: Will I ever get tired of marvelling at the beauty of Allah’s (God) creations? Never, In’Sha’Allah (Arabic word for “If God wills”)! I’m a huge fan of spending time outdoors and it always makes me happy, being in nature always stir the feeling that my soul is as wide and unlimited as the sky. And I feel this overwhelming sense of freedom like a free bird flying in the sky, it makes me feel as big as the grandest sky, but this same sky also reminds me that I am a tiny soul under this vivid wide sky. So it makes me feel both large and small at once and that is something I love about being in nature.

Newcastle, Lake Macquarie

Living on the NSW north coast, we are so blessed to have so many beautiful places around. My darling hubby and I, we both love travelling so we often go outdoors to explore our relaxing escape & always feel amazing after our family getaway. But this time when we three – Hubby, I and our little Bub of course 😉 went out for some Nature therapy, I went into thinking that what is it about nature that makes me sooooooooooo much happy and alive? Is it my love for nature or is there something more? And this thought compelled me to do some research and read more about it so after coming back home I did my research on this and found out why exactly does hanging out in nature make me so happy and alive? And it turned out, it’s not just my adoration or love for nature that leaves me feeling more happy, alive and more at peace — Recently, much research has focused on the so-called “nature connection,” and how it affects our health, outlook and overall life. So, here are few more reasons why it can be beneficial other than the source of happiness for all of us?

Being outside can actually offer relief for everything from depression to negativity. The health benefits of being outdoors are countless – you will get a burst of happiness that’s guaranteed to improve your outlook on life. A study at Japan’s Nippon Medical School found women who spent six hours in the woods over the course of two days had an increase in virus and tumour-fighting white blood cells, and the boost lasted at least seven days afterwards. Being ‘at one’ with nature also gives your brain a break from over-stimulation and lets you relax.

Being outside in nature makes people feel more alive, finds a series of studies published in the June 2010 issue of the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

A new study in the American Chemical Society’s semi-monthly journal Environmental Science & Technology finds that just five minutes of exercise in a green nature setting can boost mood and self-esteem. Click here for link.

A June 29 study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that a small group of subjects who strolled through nature for just an hour and a half reported a significant reduction in negative thoughts. Link here.

Who doesn’t love this divine nature’s view!

Another benefit of being in nature is that it makes us more creative. According to David Strayer, Ph.D., a professor of Cognition and Neural Science at the University of Utah, “Modern multitasking overtaxes brain areas that are involved in suppressing distractions, thinking creatively, and developing a sense of identity. Strayer discovered that a mere four days backpacking in nature improved people’s creativity by 50%”. Woow, this is amazing!

In this day and age, we all are loosing our focus, aren’t we? But the good thing is we can improve our focus if we spend some quality time in nature. When I say this ‘quality time in nature’, I mean no mobile phones around, mobile Datta off, wifi off, just disconnect yourself from technology and cyber world and absorb all the love of nature. According to a study published in Psychological Science, interacting with nature gives your brain a break from everyday overstimulation, which can have a restorative effect on your attention levels. It could improve your focus.

Furthermore, A study from Glasgow University showed that people who walked, biked, or ran in nature had a lower risk of poor mental health than people who worked out indoors. Link here. So, If your are planning of spending another workout chained to the treadmill, move your run outdoors for a quick burst of happiness.

In conclusion, there are so many studies out there on the internet to prove that spending time in nature not only makes you happy but it provides many other health benefits as well. These were enough reasons to increase my love for nature, what about you guys? 😉

Here are some of the fabulous places we’ve recently visited and spent a quality time as a family, Allhamdullilah (Arabic word for ‘Praise be to God’)!

This place is truly divine – there’s something so magical about being in here.

Newcastle, Lake Macquarie

This place is one of my most favourites for some reason, a very memorable and special one!

Harrington, NSW

Life is always better at the beach! I truly believe being on the beach is the best escape anybody can have – this is the perfect place to unwind and to detach yourself from the world. This is a divine beach. You can either walk on the jetty or run along the sand – Harrington has it all!

I have shared few pics, now tell me about you guys … How often do you get away? Once a year, once a month or every weekend? Make some plan for your next scheduled break, take vacations in beautiful places, visit a state or national park or go to a beautiful beach — whatever landscape speaks to you. Even if it’s a quick trip to your nearest city or a drive down to your local landscapes, make it a lifestyle choice to travel often. Also, if you have the opportunity to get outside of your home for a brisk walk or a workout, take the chance to soak in that ‘Mother Nature’.

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” – this is true but it applies to more than just apples. All fruits are beneficial and packed with nutrients. I am sure you all must be aware of the fact that fruit is such a fantastic food. It’s a delicious form of energy. It’s full of vitamins, minerals, fibre, phytonutrients, fructose (a simple sugar) and fresh water. It is packed with enzymes to aid digestion and help clean out the body, flush out impurities. Plus it can help get rid of waste from your digestive system, blood stream, internal organs, and even your skin. And of course, it tastes great! I always try and have a fully raw breakfast that sets me up with energy I need to keep me going throughout my day, fruit is the first meal of my day – no preparation requires. I love it sooo much that I wish I could eat fruit for every meal. 😉

The best time to eat a bounty of fruit is either first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (which I prefer). What happens is when you go to sleep at night, your metabolism and digestive system slow down. A good way to wake your body and kick start your digestive system is to begin your day with some fresh fruit. It’s easy to digest, helps with bowel regularity and increase the body’s metabolic rate. So, if you are not already eating fruit for breakfast then make this habit of eating fruit first thing in the morning. Didn’t like the idea? It’s okay, you can also have fruit as a mid-morning snack, in between breakfast and lunch. 🙂

Another important thing about fruit is that it should be eaten alone or with other fruit on an empty stomach. This is because when fruit is eaten, the digestive process works very quickly and our body uses different enzymes to digest the fruit. The simple sugars contained in fruit need time to be completely absorbed by your body. When fruits are eaten alone, your stomach can more easily process all of the nutrients, fibre and the simple sugars contained in the fruit. This is the optimal ‘proper way’ to benefit from the fruit you eat. If you eat fruit close to a meal, especially right after a larger meal and combine with other foods, it’s held in the stomach too long along with other foods and will rot and ferment in the gut. If you experience indigestion, heartburn, burping and and other digestive discomforts and you blame on the meal – it could be the combination of the food, the fermentation with fruit that causes your upset stomach. If left uncontrolled it could lead to other health problems that stem from the digestive tract.

I will recommend that you eat at least four pieces of fresh fruit every day. Four pieces is just a guideline, if you want more, go for it. And by this I don’t mean, four grapes or four cherries – I mean an apple, a banana and a kiwi or peach, or a large section of watermelon/rockmelon, a bunch of grapes or cherries etc.

Grapes have become my most favourite fruit since the day I got to know that our beloved Prophet (PBUH) was very much fond of grapes and Allah (God), the Bestower mentions grapes eight times in the Qur’an (the Holy book of God) as one of the innumerable favors He bestowed upon His creation. Grapes are fruits found both on the earth and in Paradise according to The Noble Book – Quran and Prophetic traditions. In Medicine of the Prophet, Ibn Al-Qayyim (a commentator on the Quran and the theologian, his scholarship was focused on the Islamic sciences of Hadith, Fiqh, and Sufism) states that it is better and more nutritious to eat grapes two or three days old, (when the skin becomes soft), than those harvested on the same day. When eaten the same day of harvesting they produce flatulence and gas in the stomach and intestines. Otherwise, the nutritional benefits of table grapes are similar to those of figs and raisins. It purifies the blood, provides vigor and health, strengthens the kidney and clears the bowels. Grapes are categorized as one of the ‘Three Royal Fruits: namely grapes, figs and dates’.

Enough about fruits today, start eating and enjoying your daily portion of fruits. I will be back soon with another topic. Till than take care and eat healthy! 🙂 Xxxx

Ready to give juicing a whirl? If you are interested then this is the article you wanna read. The best, easiest, quickest and often tastiest way to load your body up with beautifying plants is by drinking them. Juices are like precious elixir of life, in fact your best ally when it comes to saying hello to health and beauty 😉 and saying good bye to illness and excess weight. Drinking veggie juices is like delivering a big shot of enzymes, oxygen and vitamins straight into your blood stream. If you wanna read more about juicing click this link.

I am not going to talk about my night time beauty products under this Title “my bed time routine”. Ofcourse not guys 😀 Rather I will talk about something which is far better than those expensive beauty products and can do wonders to my skin, can make it look younger, supple and glowing! Yes, you guessed it right … it’s my favourite Green tea! Voilaaaa 😉

Did You Know?

The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in Catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful antioxidant.

It is also loaded with other nutrients that have powerful effects on the body. This includes fat loss, brain function, reduces high blood pressure, boosts your immunity against illnesses, or lower risk of cancer and many other incredible benefits.

I normally take green tea before going to bed and it has become my bed time routine now and sometimes i take it in the eve 20 minutes after my dinner. I always try to take 2 cups a day … I recommend you to make ‘Green tea’ – the Liquid Wisdom’ part of your daily life.

Showing below my collection of good green tea, my all time favourites!

Welcome to my Healthy Life

About Me!

I'm a Clinical Nutritionist with more than six years of experience in diet planning and counselling for patients with nutritional and medical problems. I have a degree in Foods & Nutrition with major in Dietetics. I believe that food has an impact on our lives in so many ways, ranging from a cellular nourishment level all the way to emotional, physical and social wellbeing. My aim is to teach you how to live your healthiest life, give you ways to enjoy simple and delicious food, provide you tools you need to feel and look your best. I believe you deserve to and can feel your best everyday. So, join me in this goal and start living a healthy life! Xx